The Air National Guard is the aerial component of the National Guard of Ukraine tasked with all aviation related operations of the National Guard. It was established in 1992 and has seen combat during the Transnistrian war, War in Donbass and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It operates a variety of rotary wing, fixed wing and Unmanned Aircraft. It is headquartered in Oleksandriia.
The aviation department of the National Guard of Ukraine was established on 1 January 1992, with Mymka Lubomyr Volodymyrovych becoming its first commander. The Aviation units of the National Guard of Ukraine were merged into a single helicopter brigade.[1][2] This brigade was created on the basis of the 51st Guards Separate Helicopter Regiment of the Internal Troops of the Soviet Union with Colonel Bondarchuk Vyacheslav Mykolayovych being appointed as the first commander of the brigade. It included two Mi-6 transport squadrons, two Mi-8T/MT/S/PS, Mi-9 transport and combat squadrons and 31 Mi-24B/K/R/P squadrons.[3] In total the Air Guard had 72 helicopters.[4]
In the summer of 1992, during the Transnistrian war, 14 Mil Mi-8 and Mil Mi-24 helicopters were deployed to provide air support at the Ukrainian-Moldovan border. Four Mi-8s and one Mi-24 were also deployed to the Vapnyarka and Krasnoy Vikna for rear support. The helicopters were engaged in transportation of troops, air patrols and logistical support.[5]
On 1 August 1992, it became the 51st Separate Helicopter Brigade. In March 1993, 88 fishermen were carried away by the ice in the Kremenchuk Reservoir, which were rescued by the helicopters of the brigade.[6]
In 1996, the Mil Mi-6 helicopters of the brigade took part in large-scale exercises at the Yavoriv training ground, taking part in the transport and evacuation of personnel as well as GAZ-3307 vehicles.[10]
In 1998, more than a thousand residents of Zakarpattia Oblast had to be evacuated after severe flooding. On 2 November 1998, 2 Mi-8MT and one Mi-8T flew from Oleksandriia to Uzhgorod, the helicopters were commanded by Lieutenant Colonels Klymenko, Strygin, and Major Kovtun while Colonel Anatoly Mykolayovych Sulima commanded the group. They had to go above the mountains up to 1,600 meters high, in populated areas, where food and medicine were urgently needed to be delivered. In the early days, the crews worked from Uzhgorod, but the flight took an hour so they were transferred to Tiachiv, reducing the flight time to 15–20 minutes, soon ground vehicles were able to reach the area, decreasing the load on aviation. One Mi-8MT was converted into a medevac helicopter and deployed to Chornotysov. During the 19 days of the mission, the Air Guard helicopters had a flight time of 117 hours, transported 94,370 tons of various equipment and 649 people including 72 needing medical assistance.[11]
On 17 December 1999, it became a part of the Internal Troops of Ukraine.[3] On 26 April 2000, a monument was consecrated at the headquarters of the brigade in honor of the liquidators of the Chernobyl incident with the inscription "You closed the whole world." On 19 December 2000, the Mil Mi-6 helicopters were retired from the brigade.[citation needed]
In 2014, the brigade again became a part of the National Guard of Ukraine renamed as the Air National Guard of Ukraine.[3] On 29 May 2014, during the Siege of Sloviansk, after unloading food and personnel at a checkpoint, and while returning from Mount Karachun, an Mi-8MT helicopter of the National Guard was shot by a MANPAD, causing the blast of its fuel tanks killing the commander of National Guard, Serhii Kulchitskyi, two officers of the Air Guard, pilot Colonel Buldovych Serhiy Ivanovich and flight engineer Captain Kravchenko Sergey Mykolayovych, three other National Guard servicemen and six Berkut personnel. The copilot, Captain Oleksandr Mykolayovych Makeyenko survived but was seriously wounded.[12][13][14][15][16] In Autumn 2014, Athlon Avia A1-CM Furia UAVs were delivered to the Air Guard.[17] On 22 July 2015, Athlon Avia A1-CM Furia UAVs were officially adopted by the Air Guard.[18] On 24 August 2015, during the "Independence March", the Air Guard received a new combat flag replacing the former Soviet banner with a ceremony taking place on 29 August, the "Aviation Day".[19] In 2016, the Air National Guard started operating Polish-manufactured "Fly eye" reconnaissance UAVs.[20][21] On 14 October 2016, the open-air Mil Mi-6 helicopter museum was opened at the Air Guard Headquarters by the mayor of Oleksandria, Stepan Tsapyuk.[22] From 2014 to 2019, the Air Guard received an Antonov An-26, an Antonov An-72, three Mil Mi-8 and two Mi-2MSB. A squadron of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles was established which received "Fly-eye", A1-CM/KS-1 Furia, RQ-11B Raven, and MARA-2M UAVs.[23] In 2018, Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil helicopters were also purchased for the Air Guard.[24] On 21 December 2018, the Air Guard received its first Eurocopter EC225 Super Puma,[25] followed by a second Eurocopter EC225 Super Puma in December 2019.[26]
On 15 April 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces conducted a missile attack on the airfield of the Air Guard causing casualties, there were multiple wounded,[27] and an officer, Captain Oleg Anatoliyovych Zabolotnyi was killed as a result of the Missile strike.[28]
Structure
The structure of the Air Guard is as follows:[29][30][31]
Headquarters and HQ Battalion, Air National Guard of Ukraine
The Mil Mi-8 is a medium twin-turbine helicopter, originally designed by the Soviet Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI) in the 1960s and introduced into the Soviet Air Force in 1968. Russian production of the aircraft model still continues as of 2024. In addition to its most common role as a transport helicopter, the Mi-8 is also used as an airborne command post, armed gunship, and reconnaissance platform.
10th Naval Aviation Brigade is the sole Brigade of the Ukrainian Naval Aviation established in 2004 by the merger of 9th Mixed Marine Aircraft Squadron, 316th Separate Marine Aviation Squadron and the 555th Naval Helicopter Regiment. It operates a vast arsenal of fixed-wing, rotatory and unmanned aircraft. It was previously garrisoned at Novofedorivka but is currently based at Mykolaiv.
39th Tactical Aviation Brigade is brigade of the Ukrainian Air Force, tasked with operating Su-27 and Aero L-39 Albatros aircraft. The brigade traces its origin to the 894th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Soviet Air Force but its direct lineage is from the 9th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Ukrainian Air Force. It is based at Ozerne Air Base.
203rd Training Aviation Brigade is brigade of the Ukrainian Air Force, tasked with training of the Air Force pilots. It operates various variants of the Su-27 and Aero L-39 Albatros, An-26s, Mi-2s and Mi-8s aircraft. The brigade traces its origin to the 810th Training Aviation Regiment of the Soviet Air Force which swore allegiance to Ukraine. Since 2004, the brigade is subordinated to the Ivan Kozhedub National University of the Air Force.
The 15th Operational Assignment Kara Dag Brigade "Hero of Ukraine Lieutenant Bohdan Zavada" is a brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine. It is a part of the Ukrainian Offensive Guard and was established as the 9th Special Purpose Regiment in 1994 at the village of Shiroky in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. It has taken part in multiple engagements throughout the Russo-Ukrainian war and is currently deployed on the frontlines in Pokrovsk. It is currently headquartered in Zaporizhzhia City.
The 45th Operational Assignment Lviv Regiment "Lieutenant Colonel Oleksandr Krasitskyi" is a regiment of the National Guard of Ukraine. It was established on the basis of the 10th Operational Regiment of the Soviet Army in 1992. It has taken part in multiple engagements throughout the Russo-Ukrainian war. It is currently headquartered in Lviv City.
11th Separate Public Order Odessa Brigade "Mykhailo Hrushevsky" is a brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine tasked with protection of public law and order, and after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the territorial integrity of Ukraine. It was established in 1992 as the 7th Separate National Guard Regiment on the basis of the 42nd Special Motorized Militia Regiment. It is headquartered in Odessa city.
The 21st Separate Public Order Protection Brigade is a law enforcement brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine tasked with protection of the law and order as well as the territorial integrity of Ukraine. It was established in 1992 on the basis of the 25th Separate Special Motorized Militia Battalion as the 6th Regiment. The brigade's main headquarters is in Kryvyi Rih but some parts of it are garrisoned at Kropyvnytskyi.
The 23rd Public Order Protection Brigade "Khortytsia" is a Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine tasked with protection of the public order and the territorial integrity of Ukraine. It was established on January 2, 1992, as the 8th NG Regiment on the basis of the 22nd Separate Special Motorized Militia Battalion. It has seen combat during the War in Donbass and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Its units are headquartered in Zaporizhzhia, Melitopol, Berdyansk and Energodar.
The 31st Public Order Protection Brigade "Major General Oleksandr Radievskyi" is a Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine tasked with protection of the public order and the territorial integrity of Ukraine. It was established on January 2, 1992, as the 5th NG Regiment on the basis of the 24th Separate Special Motorized Militia Battalion. It has seen combat during the War in Donbas and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Its headquartered in Dnipro.
The 2nd Separate Mixed Galician Brigade is a brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine concerned with multiple roles including the extraction of Ukrainian personnel from the frontlines, logistical and combat support, maintenance of the public law and order, among other roles. It was established on the basis of the 16th Convoy Brigade in February 1992 as the 2nd Convoy Brigade. Its main headquarters is in Lviv although its units are also stationed in Ternopil, Uzhhorod, Drohobych and Rivne.
The 27th Separate "Pecherska" Brigade' is a brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine tasked with the transport and escort of soldiers and prisoners and the protection of the judicial facilities and Ukrainian territorial integrity. It was established in 2006 and is headquartered in Pechersk, Kyiv.
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The 34th Kherson Regiment is a regiment of the National Guard of Ukraine tasked with patrol, reconnaissance, law enforcement and protection of Ukrainian territorial integrity. It was established as the 8th separate battalion of the on the basis of the 131st Separate Special Motorized Police Battalion in 1992. It is headquartered in Kherson.
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The 4th Pavlograd Regiment for the protection of important State Objects' is a regiment of the National Guard of Ukraine tasked with the protection of important strategic sites. It was established in 1991 and is headquartered in Pavlograd. Pavlograd Mechanical Plant, Pavlograd Chemical Plant and Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology amongst other strategic sites are under the regiment's protection.
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Ukraine 
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